Losing our intelligence.

[Guest guest]

Grady, I couldn't have put it better myself. I have always detested the

conept of " reality shows " (an oxymoron if there ever was one). While TV has its

uses, it's become little more than electronic crack for too many.

Well said!

[Guest guest]

You knwo Grady, I think you have it in a bunch of nutshells....These reality

shows are anythign but. Come to my hosue and live for a whiel if you want

real reality fodder for a tv show. Deal with a 13yo dx'd with PTSD and

bipolarism, a kid who is vision impaired, a child without legs....everyday

economics, the fool across the street who harasses my kids and is on parole

but the

law cant do anythign about because he is a juvenile who uses drugs and

alchohol, a hsuband who has been downsized into beign self employed and

travels an

hour to work each day, married ksi with money woes, etc. Its more surreal

than real some days aroudn here. TV is such a farce but at least it does

offer escape fom the real realities of life...I mean, how many people can end

up

dead in the little town of Cabot Cove and it still exists? Sponge Bob...how

much more idiotic can you get? Ted Bundy??

Reality has nothing to do with stature but we choose to make it that way

anyhow.

Apryl

[Guest guest]

When I saw the one about the chubby man and how the show is poking fun at him

I say that is an insult and shows like that don't deserve airplay.

I liked the earlier shows of the Real World and Big Brother when they showed

a combination of people and how it was actually interesting to watch not

insulting to the people in the show or to the people watching it.

If they want to put little people in a show try Real People or the Real World.

Helen

[Guest guest]

I don't see how this LP dating " reality " show could be anything but

contrived, phony and exploitive but the producers swear up and down that

it won't be so I'll give it the benefit of a doubt until I see it. I do

think that because the series will presumably run over several weeks

that the producers will be forced to deal realistically with the

personalities of the cast. Depending on those personalities it could be

a benefit to LPs in general in that it will reduce the ignorance of the

APs watching the show. Of course they could pick really obnoxious people

and then it wouldn't be a benefit. So I'm on the fence about the overall

impact of the show.

I have to admit to liking a couple reality shows in spite of myself even

thought I swore I wouldn't. " Big Brother " and " Survivor " I find

interesting. I think all of us who have watched " Survivor " are thinking

Rupert! What a nice guy, I'm glad I got to see him.

Helen referred to a chubby man being made fun of on one reality show. I

can only think she must be referring to Ralphie May on " Last Comic

Standing. " Ralphie is a friend of ours and he knows he's not " chubby. "

He is a house, an expanse, a continent or at least very large island.

And no one makes fun of Ralphie due the respect he commands because of

his talent and his wonderfully giving personality. As big as Ralphie is,

his heart is bigger. While not winning " Last Comic Standing, " the

exposure, because he has the talent and material to back it up, has made

Ralphie financially solid to say the least. Dat Phan, the winner, is not

doing so well because he simply doesn't have the material or experience

and his talent needs to develop. To all Ralphie's friends relief he got

that new surgery a couple months ago and had dropped 78 lbs as of a

couple weeks ago when we last talked. He tells me he was 800 lbs at one

point.

I guess the point is that if you're in the entertainment business and

get on the show it will do you good only if you have the talent to run

with the notoriety right away. If not you run the risk of ending up like

Dat Phan who, because he wasn't ready, will never have the respect of

his peers and will only be a flash in the pan.

Marty